The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-08
Shorter Hours for the Merchant.
Paper read before lie State Business Mems
association, at Grand Rapids, By James
OSbuan, Of this city.

was surprised and almost dunn
founded, when Mr. Parkll, my neigh
Dor, informed me that l was on the
list to talk to this Association on the
subject, "Shorter Hours for Business
Men, At first / doubted him, but
later | received letter from the
President informing me of the TACT
and saying that no excuse would be
accepted. Now, l never wrote an
essay nor attempted to speak in meet
ing. Like most business men, / have
always been quiet listener. Those
requirements belong to different
profession, as seperate and distinct as
drugs are from hardware. IF you
should want your watch repaired you
would not 60 to a blacksmith. Bust
ness men, as rule, are not public
speakers. Their speeches are usually
made in the office or behind the
counter to small audiences, and are
very brief. Time is too precious with
them for extended~remarks.
An English writer, in speaking Of
Americans, said: "rhey kill them
selves in their great rush to get rich;
to outstrip their competitors. 7" The
business man hurries 10 his place of
work, labors until noon, rushes out
for lunch, swallows it as fast as he
can, is back to labor until tea time,
and then rushes for home. His wife
greets him with smile, but he has
no time to talk to her. He must have
his meal as quick as posslble-John
Smith is to meet him on important
business-he can't stop, and away he
goes to see Smith. He returns at 10
or II o'clock. Tired and weary, he
drops into his easy chair to rest; but
does he rest? No; he has brought his
business home with him. He thinks
it over and over again, until, from
sheer exhaustion, he retires to bed
and tries to sleep, but Only slumbers
and dreams horrid dreams OF railway
catastrophies and disasters Of a kin
dred nature. He awakes early in the
morning, when his business rises be
fore his mental vision like a great
panorama, and nothing but magniiied
disasters and delinquent debtors APP
pear on the canvas. He becomes
restless, turns over and over in bed,
tries in vain to sleep, until the morn
ing sun comes to his relief and the
phantoms disappear. He rises ner-
vous and weary and repeats the same
over again day after day. Now, how
long can person be expected to
stand this high pressure? How long
can he successfully battle with the
clear head of his neighbor, who is
growing stronger and more proficient
every day by the observance Of prop.
er hours and laws.
The late Henry Ward Beecher SAID
in one of his sermons, al care not
who your exemplar is, by departing
from the great influences and laws of
Nature there is many man wears
oat pfematurely; he grinds his very
life out by overwork and over hours"
Men laugh at the old-fashioned New
England customs Of going to tea at
4 o'clock and to bed at 9, but the
mer whom that custom made are
not to be laughed at. The men that
are wearing out are city men. The
city, like the grindstone, takes off
the edge and the very steel from the
sword. No great city could perpet.
uate It's powers we're it not for the
continual recuperation from the coun.
try Of country bred men, who have
kept proper hours and observed
wholesome, natural laws. Over work
and over-hours, from their depress-